Some authorities have held that lower and other back problems began to bother people when humans first evolved into bipedal beings. Complaints of back problems, particularly in the lower back or lumbar region, are nearly universal among people, and as a result a multitude of remedies have been developed. Many of these remedies are in the form of braces or supports, intended to relieve muscle strain and pain in the lower back for erect or seated persons.
In addition, many authorities have expressed concern over the support (or lack thereof) provided by the standard mattress. The relatively wide hips and buttocks of a person, in contrast with a relatively narrow waist, results in concentrations of pressure at the hips and buttocks when a person is reclining or sleeping and a corresponding lack of pressure or support at the small of the back (for persons lying on their back) and at the waist (for persons lying on their side). Many people hold that this results in a sagging of the spine and central body in the area of the waist, and abnormal curvature of the spine (lordosis and/or scoliosis) and consequent muscular strain and resultant pain.
As a result, various different mattresses and beds have been developed in attempts to alleviate the above problems. Air mattresses and waterbeds have been found to provide some limited relief for the above problems, due to their relatively uniform distribution of the pressures of a reclining person. However, these devices do not provide a universal solution, due to the very distribution of pressure which they provide: It can be difficult for a bedridden person to arise from, or even change position in, such a bed due to the cushioning provided.
Some persons have experimented with pillows or other padding in combination with a standard bed to provide the additional support needed at the waist. However, pillows and the like do not move with a person when he/she moves in the bed; thus, any relief provided by such a pad will only be good until the person changes his/her position in the bed.
The need arises for a spinal support for reclining persons, which device provides the spinal support needed no matter what the position of the person using the device. The support should be lightweight and comfortable, and be easily washable or cleanable as needed. Finally, the support must also be adaptable to persons of varying size or stature, to provide optimum utility.